Border stand-off: India, China flag meet today

Amid a continuing stand-off at the border, India and China will hold a flag meeting on Thursday in Chushul in Ladakh to address the issue.

Amid a continuing stand-off at the border, India and China will hold a flag meeting on Thursday in Chushul in Ladakh to address the issue.

As the two sides hold the flag meeting on Chinese request, India has demanded restoration of "pre-September 10" situation in Chumar area in Ladakh, defence sources said in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, New Delhi is working on naming a Special Representative as demanded by China during President Xi Jingpin's visit to India last week to hold talks on the border issue and demarcation of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), they said.

In a repeat of the Depsang incident in Ladakh in April last year, the sources said that the Chinese side is again demanding the dismantling of some of India's border posts in the Chumar area.

Chinese troops have pitched their tents in Chumar and their helicopters have been seen dropping food packets for its soldiers.

Tension in the area erupted two weeks back when some Chinese workers, who were constructing a road on their side, crossed into the Indian side and also claimed that they had orders to build a road up to Tible, 5 kms deep inside Indian territory.

Chumar was at the centre of the fortnight-long stand-off last year in Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) as the Chinese side had objected to overhead bunkers erected by the Indian side.

As part of an agreement reached at the flag meeting to end that impasse in April-May 2013 at DBO, the Indian side had to dismantle some overhead bunkers in the Chumar area.

During winter this year, Chinese soldiers attempted to enter the area on horsebacks. The area has witnessed frequent incursion attempts by Chinese troops.